"Yes, Sir Harls…" said Warren, nodding solemnly.
He understood that he had said too much this time. It was clear that Ivan was up to something shocking, including the Dark Lord.
No wonder Ivan showed no intention of pursuing Lord Voldemort after injuring him last night.
This was the second time Ivan had spared the man's life. He was ashamed that he hadn't thought of such an obvious warning and had been stupid enough to ask.
The rest of the wizards were wise and could see this clearly.
However, it was for this reason that it was so shocking. To use a mysterious person, whom everyone in the wizarding world feared and did not dare to call by his name, as a pawn was truly a bold move…
Dougett looked at Ivan and sighed. A few years ago, he was still a young wizard, but now he had grown so much that even he could not see him clearly.
He had the power to dominate the wizarding world, but he kept it hidden so that he could deliver the fatal blow after gaining Dumbledore's trust.
Were it not for Lord Voldemort's sudden arrival, they would have been left in the dark.
"Sir Harls, if we can't take the initiative, how can we avoid being attacked by the Unknown?" Walker asked curiously.
"Next, I will engrave a magical mark on each of your bodies, through which you will speak directly to me. If necessary, I will also be able to use this magical mark to determine your coordinates and use it to perform Apparition…"
Ivan didn't try to keep them in suspense. He spent a few minutes explaining the effects of the magical mark, hiding only his ability to kill people directly through it.
Walker and the others were excited when they heard the news, as they knew that the magical mark was a protective charm that would allow them to call for backup should they encounter a powerful enemy they could not handle.
However, before they could celebrate for long, Ivan threw cold water on their parade.
Although the magical mark could instantly transmit messages, if one was too busy or was delayed by something, they would likely not be able to rescue them in time. Therefore, this could only be used as a last resort.
"Also, unless there's something important to report, I'm not allowed to be contacted directly with a magical mark…" Ivan added.
He did not want these people to come to him for advice on trivial matters. He would definitely be annoyed.
The assembled wizards nodded in agreement. In fact, they would not have dared to do so without Ivan's warning.
"Let's start with you, Dougett, just in time to get rid of the Dark Mark on your wrist…" Ivan said, looking around the room, his gaze finally settling on Dougett.
"You have a way to remove the Dark Mark?" Dagget was suddenly very agitated. After Lord Voldemort's return, the Dark Mark on his hand became more pronounced, occasionally accompanied by an unbearable sting.
Over the course of the past decade or so, he had attempted to remove the Dark Mark, but every other method he had tried to do so had proved to be futile, so he had no choice but to give up.
"Of course, it's just a mark spell, to be honest," Ivan explained. Knowing how the spell worked made it easier to undo.
Doggett hurried forward and, with a trembling hand, pulled back the sleeve of his left hand, revealing the eye-catching skull mark on his wrist. A serpentine snake was slithering out of the skull's mouth, forming an inner ring.
Ivan pulled out his wand and placed it against Doggett's outstretched wrist. As he poured his magic into the wand, the Dark Mark seemed to come alive. The serpent writhed restlessly, and a strange hissing sound filled the living room.
Doggett frowned. He could feel two very different forces fighting against each other on his wrists. His forearm felt as if it were pressed against a hot iron, and black smoke was coming out of it…
About three minutes later, the Dark Mark was gone, replaced by a new one.
Seeing that the spell was successfully cast, Ivan stopped and breathed a sigh of relief. Although he was very confident before, this was the first time he had used this kind of mark magic. If something went wrong, he would be in trouble.
"You're dismissed." Ivan waved Doggett back into place, then ordered Fran to step forward…
Doggett walked back into the crowd in a good mood. He raised his left wrist and examined it closely. There was a very strange dragon on it. The head and tail were connected and there was an irregular diamond-shaped pattern on the outer ring.
A dragon about to take flight?
Doggett tried to guess what the mark meant, but he had a feeling there was more to it than met the eye.
About an hour later, all forty-five wizards present had magical marks carved into their wrists.
Ivan was tired from the intense spell-casting, but he did not show it as he continued to delegate tasks.
The threat of Lord Voldemort was over for now, but there was still much to do.
"Duggart, Rosier, Parkinson, Macmillan…you're in charge of infiltrating the Ministry," Ivan instructed them.
"We'll show you results in half a year at most, Sir Harls." Having removed the Dark Mark, Doggett was in an exceptionally good mood, and he replied proudly.
Rosier and the others also promised to prepare for the attack on the Ministry as quickly as possible.
Actually, there's no hurry… You guys can slow down!
Yvonne opened her mouth, but the words never left her lips.
"Remember, you have to be discreet…"
They nodded solemnly. They were too smart to guess what Ivan was planning, but they didn't want to make a mistake because of their missteps.
Ivan then turned away from them and returned his attention to Flan.
"Fran, lead the enforcers to manage Knockturn Alley and set up some rules. The atmosphere needs to be tidied up. If you see a suitable wizard, you can recruit him."
"I'll keep that in mind, Sir Harls," Flan said, bowing her head slightly.
Ivan didn't bother to remind her that he trusted Floren's abilities and loyalty, and finally told her to take care of the wizarding market and send people to find the rare creatures.
"Do you have any questions? Anything to add?" Yvonne asked, scanning the room.
There was a long silence in the living room. Ivan wasn't surprised. He knew how intimidating he could be, and this was just a formality.
Ivan was about to announce the end of the meeting when a slightly familiar figure stepped forward from the crowd.